I found this idea on Pinterest although I can't remember where or from whom.
I put the students in groups of 3. I actually typed up directions for each group which seemed more effective than me just speaking the directions. It also helped me plan better for exactly how the game was going to work.
Basically each group had 15 paper-clipped sets of 3 cards, each with a similar math problem. To start they took the first set of three cards and placed one on each student's desk upside down. When I said, "Go," they each did their individual problem (individual accountability). Then they had to find the sum of their answers and send a "runner" to me to check the answer for that set of cards. If it was correct, they were instructed to put those 3 cards in their DONE pile and pick up the next set of 3 cards from their START pile. They then repeated the process. If they told me their sum and it was incorrect, they had to go back to the group and work together to figure out where their mistakes were (group collaboration). I liked it because this forced them to recheck their own work and look at the work of their group members who had already tried the problem individually. Error analysis is, in my opinion, a GREAT way for students to deepen their understanding of a mathematical concept and make connections.
I asked a few students what they thought. It wasn't necessarily "super fun," but they responded that they liked it better than a lot of games because they were all doing a problem at the same time rather than just watching others do problems and taking turns. The competition definitely drives a number of my students and that makes it more exciting. The winning group gets to go first in the food line for our end of the year party tomorrow!
Another plus for this game was that the students helped each other when one person didn't know how to do a card. The work load was very heavily on the students rather than me. All 3 cards were over the exact same concept so while they were doing different problems, they all required basically the same steps. It allowed me to gauge their understanding and step in only in certain circumstances when I saw all three group members were stuck or lost. I waited until they had tried a few times unsuccessfully to solve their problems or when I saw a group just staring at a loss.
Only one more day of normal school!!
I put the students in groups of 3. I actually typed up directions for each group which seemed more effective than me just speaking the directions. It also helped me plan better for exactly how the game was going to work.
Basically each group had 15 paper-clipped sets of 3 cards, each with a similar math problem. To start they took the first set of three cards and placed one on each student's desk upside down. When I said, "Go," they each did their individual problem (individual accountability). Then they had to find the sum of their answers and send a "runner" to me to check the answer for that set of cards. If it was correct, they were instructed to put those 3 cards in their DONE pile and pick up the next set of 3 cards from their START pile. They then repeated the process. If they told me their sum and it was incorrect, they had to go back to the group and work together to figure out where their mistakes were (group collaboration). I liked it because this forced them to recheck their own work and look at the work of their group members who had already tried the problem individually. Error analysis is, in my opinion, a GREAT way for students to deepen their understanding of a mathematical concept and make connections.
I asked a few students what they thought. It wasn't necessarily "super fun," but they responded that they liked it better than a lot of games because they were all doing a problem at the same time rather than just watching others do problems and taking turns. The competition definitely drives a number of my students and that makes it more exciting. The winning group gets to go first in the food line for our end of the year party tomorrow!
Another plus for this game was that the students helped each other when one person didn't know how to do a card. The work load was very heavily on the students rather than me. All 3 cards were over the exact same concept so while they were doing different problems, they all required basically the same steps. It allowed me to gauge their understanding and step in only in certain circumstances when I saw all three group members were stuck or lost. I waited until they had tried a few times unsuccessfully to solve their problems or when I saw a group just staring at a loss.
Only one more day of normal school!!
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